UPRA has initiated the identification of Areas of Protection for Food Production (APPA) in eight municipalities of Tolima

Collaborators from UPRA met with local authorities and community representatives to explain the process aimed at protecting soil and ensuring food security.

Bogotá D. C., (@UPRAColombia, @claudialili76). Líbano, Falan, Fresno, Villahermosa, Palocabildo, Herveo, Casabianca, and Murillo were the municipalities visited by collaborators from the Agricultural and Rural Planning Unit (UPRA) to begin identifying Areas of Protection for Food Production (APPA).

Two types of meetings were held in each municipality: one with the mayor's office and another with representatives from guilds, producers, private companies, and other stakeholders interested in Colombian agriculture. 

Attendees highlighted the work that UPRA initiated in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to protect rural soil and ensure food security. 

Miriam Díaz, a producer from Falan, stated, "The socialization of the APPA seemed very important and very good to me because the government shows that they remember us, the farmers who cultivate the land, because food is essential and therefore food security is also essential." 

Wilder Aguilar, president of the Community Action Board of Santa Filomena, emphasized, "It is very important to protect rural areas; I believe we will not have any problems because we are farmers committed to the environment; so, we are planting where it is." 

Luz Marina García, a producer from Villahermosa, highlighted, "The meeting was very effective; the APPA, I see, will protect the countryside areas, which will serve us a lot in the future. We will know what food plants we will have so that the future will be much better than now." 

Some attendees insisted on the importance of protecting rural soil and preventing other activities from taking place. 

Giovanni Moreno, a producer from Falan, indicated, "Mining in our municipality has been a major concern that clashes quite a bit with agricultural issues. So, agriculture and mining have not been able to coexist, especially considering the history of our region. In our genes, we do not allow mining." 

This identification exercise of the APPA will continue over the next few weeks in these eight municipalities of Tolima with the collection of information conducted hand in hand with local authorities in the territories.​